'FoodPlay' teaches fun food lessons at Sterling Community School

Two young students are captivated by the juggling antics of FoodPlay actors. Photo by D. Coffey.

Two young students are captivated by the juggling antics of FoodPlay actors. Photo by D. Coffey.

Denise CoffeyReminder News

Sterling Community School students learn about nutrition and exercise with 'FoodPlay'

When Linda Tardiff took to the stage at the Pomfret Community School on Feb. 19, it wasn't long before she had the audience eating out of her hand. As the character Coach in "FoodPlay," she started off the production by juggling a set of rings. The kindergarten through grade five students hooted with delight.

Her colorful outfit and juggling finesse was in service to something serious however. "There are 300,000 different food products today," she told the kids as she walked right through the audience. "It's important for a healthy diet to know how to juggle the foods that you eat."

FoodPlay Productions is a nutrition media company whose goal is to teach kids healthy eating and exercise habits. They do it with humor, action, color and enthusiasm. And because the information is accessible to children as young as kindergarten, many of the lessons hit home.

Invited to the school by Chartwells Dining Services, the production was meant to give something to the kids beyond the serving line. "It's about making healthy choices," said Ayn Yeagle, a Chartwells dietician. She pointed out the rainbow of colors in the cafeteria's food line. Plastic cups filled with tomatoes, red peppers, carrots, broccoli and cucumbers, sandwiches on whole grain buns, water and healthy juice drinks greeted students. Chips and cookies were available, but they were tucked in the back, away from the food line.

"Our meals meet the USDA standards for healthy kids," Yeagle said. "We wanted to offer kids a variety. They have to take one fruit and one vegetable at lunch time. They have to take one fruit at breakfast. Whether they eat it is up to them. But if it's on their plate, they're more likely to try it."

"FoodPlay" was developed with that goal in mind. It's about a coach training an athlete. The athlete, Johnny Junk Food, has to learn a few things before he has a chance at making the team. The give and take between the two characters covers basic information about nutrition and exercise, and the need to balance the two.

Using easily recognizable props including a soda can, individual apple pie packaging and a lunchbox decorated with a crown, the two made points the kids were certain to understand. "We're eating food with too much salt, sugar and fat in it," Tardiff told the kids.

"Do you know how many teaspoons of sugar are in this?" she asked the kids when she held up a can of soda. She and Jordon Phillips, as Johnny Junk Food, made them guess. Then they counted out the answer in English and Spanish. "Ten teaspoons of sugar," Tardiff said, "plus coloring, additives, caffeine and phosphoric acid."

The kids groaned.

"Kids drink about 600 cans of soda a year," Tardiff said. "At a buck a can, that's $600 you're giving to the soda companies when you could be buying a bike, skateboard or roller blades."

They talked about eating five fruits and vegetables and three square meals a day. They made them play a puzzle with My Plate, an icon developed by the United States Department of Agriculture showing a plate with sections devoted to fruits, vegetables, protein, grains and dairy. It's meant to remind people how to make healthy food choices.

"We're bombarded with 10,000 food ads a year," Tardiff said. Making healthy food choices means knowing what you're eating and drinking, she told the kids. "Read it before you eat it," she said, then she launched into an explanation of ingredient lists found on food and drink packages. The first ingredient listed is always the main ingredient, and that was sugar when she read from junk food packages on stage. "Only they call it high fructose corn syrup," she said.

They talked to the kids about the importance of exercise and that being healthy didn't mean being razor thin like a model. "Everyone comes in different shapes and sizes," Phillips said.

Phillips said FoodPlay worked at changing attitudes around food and play. "Older kids see us as role models," he said. "And younger kids sometimes mimic the older kids. There's a trickle down effect."

But it might work in the other direction as well. After the play, a group of students returned to the cafeteria to eat their lunch. "The play was cool," said a third-grader when she took a seat. A sloppy Joe on whole grain bun, baked French fries, carrots and orange slices were on her tray. "I learned that if we eat healthier we could live longer," she said. "I'll have to get my dad to do that."